Fifteen-year-old drowns in Shashe River

Ryder Gabathuse | Saturday April 18, 2020 12:31

 

Fifteen-year-old drowns in Shashe River

Tonota police station commander, superintendent Oteng Ngada told MmegiOnline that the unfortunate incident occurred on Thursday slightly after 4pm.

The girl, who was in company of a friend, was walking another friend across the river to the neighbouring Shashebridge.

“They were taking a friend half way to her home across the river from Semotswane when she suddenly took a decision to cool herself in a stagnant pool of water, oblivious of the depth of the pool when she suddenly drowned,” Ngada told MmegiOnline.

Efforts to rescue the girl by some villagers were allegedly in vain until Botswana Defence Force (BDF) scuba divers recovered her lifeless body just after 8pm.

Superintendent Ngada advised villagers to take responsibility and never to underestimate stagnant pools of water, especially when even the depth of such pools is not known.

“Stay away from these pools and save more lives. It’s a risk to either just attempt to bath or swim in such pools,” advised Ngada.

Shashebridge chief, Abraham Kgaje was amongst those who responded quickly to reports that a child had drowned in a pool, unfortunately their efforts to rescue her were in vain until a team of scuba divers from the BDF recovered her body.

“We have tried hard to limit the movement of people across the village, but it is sometimes difficult since people still go to shops and other places to replenish their requirements,” Kgaje said, emphasising that it was painful for the loss of such a young life.

Meanwhile, Ngada has decried defiance of some villagers who continued to brew and sell traditional concoctions despite the lockdown stringent regulations that have banned the selling of traditional brews and others.

Between April 2 and 14, 2020 seven people have so far been arrested, charged and fined admission of guilty fees of P1,000 per person in Tonota and they have duly paid.

Ngada fears that there was no way the battle against coronavirus can easily be won when some villagers disregard the very regulations that are applied in an endeavour to combat the contagious coronavirus.

He is, however, elated that people have now started complying after learning the hard way.